Chaina v Presbyterian Church (NSW) Property Trust (No. 25) [2014] NSWSC 518

Supreme Court New South Wales

Medium Neutral Citation: Chaina v Presbyterian Church (NSW) Property Trust (No. 25) [2014] NSWSC 518 Decision date: 23 May 2014 Jurisdiction: Common Law Before: Davies J Decision: Reasons published Catchwords: NEGLIGENCE - damages arising from death - damages for nervous shock - son of two plaintiffs killed on school excursion - whether parents suffered mental harm - pre-existing psychiatric conditions - costs of coronial inquest - whether plaintiff entitled to such costs - two plaintiffs sole directors and shareholders of two plaintiff companies - companies make per quod amisit sevitium claim - whether claim falls within exception in Barclay v Penberthy - failure to mitigate Legislation Cited: Civil Liability Act 2002 Civil Procedure Act 2005 Compensation to Relatives Act 1897 (NSW) Evidence Act 1995 Legal Profession Act 2004 (NSW) Supreme Court Act 1981 (UK) Cases Cited: AMP General Insurance Ltd v Kull [2005] NSWCA 442 Baghdadi bht Kouri v P & M Quality Smallgoods Pty Ltd [2008] NSWSC 406 Barclay v Penberthy [2012] HCA 40; (2012) 246 CLR 258 BestCare Foods Ltd v Origin Energy LPG Ltd (formerly Boral Gas (NSW) Pty Ltd) [2013] NSWSC 1287 Chaina v The Presbyterian Church (NSW) Property Trust [2008] NSWSC 290 Chaina v The Presbyterian Church (NSW) Property Trust (No 2) [2008] NSWSC 1056 Chaina v The Presbyterian Church (NSW) Property Trust (No 3) [2009] NSWSC 1243 Chaina v Presbyterian Church (NSW) Property Trust (No 6) [2012] NSWSC 1476 Chaina v Presbyterian Church (NSW) Property Trust (No 7) [2013] NSWSC 139 Chaina v Presbyterian Church (NSW) Property Trust (No 8) [2013] NSWSC 187 Chaina v Presbyterian Church (NSW) Property Trust (No. 13) [2013] NSWSC 1057 Chaina v The Presbyterian Church (NSW) Property Trust (No. 15) [2013] 1178 Chaina v Presbyterian Church (NSW) Property Trust (No. 16) [2013] NSWSC 1494 Chaina v Presbyterian Church (NSW) Property Trust (No. 22) [2013] NSWSC 1707 Chaina v Presbyterian Church (NSW) Property Trust (No 23) [2013] NSWSC 1675 Chen v Karandonis [2002] NSWCA 412 Cremona v Roads and Traffic Authority [2000] NSWSC 735 Cremona v Roads and Traffic Authority [2000] NSWSC 556 Dell v Dalton (1991) 23 NSWLR 528 Giorginis v Kastrati (1988) 49 SASR 371 Gould v Vaggelas (1985) 157 CLR 215 Hollier v Sutcliffe [2010] NSWSC 279 McCrohon v Harith [2010] NSWCA 67 Paino v Paino (2008) 40 Fam LR 96 Petrovski v Serco Sodexo Defence Services Pty Ltd [2013] ACTSC 242 Prudential Assurance Co. Ltd v Newman Industries Ltd (No. 2) [1982] Ch 204 Roach v Home Office; Matthews v Home Office [2009] EWHC 312; [2010] QB 256 Roads Traffic Authority v Cremona [2001] NSWCA 338 Roads Traffic Authority v Cremona (No. 2) [2001] NSWCA 459 Saad v Gosford City Council [2007] NSWSC 643 Sydney Attractions Group Pty Ltd v Schulman (No. 2) [2013] 1153 Tame v New South Wales; Annetts v Australian Stations Pty Limited [2002] HCA 35; (2002) 211 CLR 317 Thornton v Wollondilly Mobile Engineering [2012] NSWSC 621 Category: Principal judgment Parties: George Chaina (Second Plaintiff) Rita Chaina (Third Plaintiff) Proton Technology Pty Ltd (Fourth Plaintiff) Deluxe Technology Pty Ltd (Fifth Plaintiff) The Presbyterian Church (New South Wales) Property Trust (Defendant) Representation: Counsel: J Maconachie QC & J Sharpe (Plaintiffs) [4 March - 12 April 2013] A Dawson (Plaintiffs) [8, 9, 14, 15 & 16 October 2013] Rita Chaina and George Chaina (Plaintiffs) 15 July 2013 - 20 December 2013 R Stitt QC, G L Turner & H Stitt (Defendant) Solicitors: Berrigan Doube Lawyers (Plaintiffs) [4 March - 12 April 2013] Rita Chaina and George Chaina (Plaintiffs) 15 July 2013 - 20 December 2013 Curwoods Lawyers (Defendant) File Number(s): 2002/69354